


Obsessive

by WeirdWorldOrder



Series: Ciphers [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Blood, F/F, Human Bill Cipher, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Manipulation, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Pacifica Northwest/Mabel Pines, Older Pines Twins, POV First Person, Possessive Bill Cipher, Protective Bill Cipher, Reverse Pines, Swearing, Violence, hinted Will Cipher/Stanford, minor succubus OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 07:52:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5908675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeirdWorldOrder/pseuds/WeirdWorldOrder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Will?”  I ventured.<br/>“You’re certainly a magnet for danger, Pine Tree.”</p><p>There are a lot of things Dipper Pines did not expect to happen, despite knowing the oddities of Gravity Falls.  Befriending a demon was one of these especially when considering his history with a similar one.  The brunet had come to trust Will Cipher.  The demon saved him and gave him insight.  Once again Dipper finds his world turning upside down and inside out all because of the infamous dream demon who has become the beast of his nightmares.  Could a Cipher really stand up against a Cipher?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Obsessive

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome one and all to the roller coaster that is Dipper's point of view. Hopefully I did his character justice. 
> 
> As always enjoy and let me know your thoughts. If you find any grammatical or spelling errors please let me know.
> 
> Also if anyone believes I missed any tags, or maybe have miss-rated this I am open to your suggestions.

Not many can say that they have met themselves from an alternate timeline or dimension. I, Dipper Pines, am one of the few who have. Let me just say that whatever messed up world said counterpart came from is one place I never wish to venture. I had thought dealing with clones when I was twelve was bad. Oh, boy was I wrong! That old television cliché with confronting your evil twin sugarcoated it so much it’s not anywhere near funny. Granted the experience wasn’t all bad. Well, what happened after was interesting to say the least. I suppose I should start at the beginning.

It was the summer before our senior year in high school. Mabel was excited, but also incredibly anxious. I was too, but my main focus was getting into a good college when we moved on. My twin would not allow me to spend the entire summer worrying about it, of course. Mabel basically kept me from being a complete shut-in, and I tried to keep her grounded in reality. It was a full time job on my part at times.

Anyway, like the summers since our twelfth year we were spending it in the bizarre town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. Now when I say that the town is bizarre I mean it. The people are rather strange, but the real oddity is the town’s history of paranormal activity. You can find anything from ghosts haunting a convenience store to a talking bear with multiple heads. These varying species came with a diversity of personalities and temperaments as well. The convenience shop ghosts have a deep hatred for teenagers (I won’t be going back there until I’m well into my twenties, if ever again) and Multi-Bear loves the Icelandic pop sensation BABBA.

We had many adventures within Gravity Falls. Thankfully none were as life threatening and potentially world altering as that first summer five years back. Still, we had our fair share of adventures since and will no doubt have many more. Mabel and I stayed with our Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford in what Stan had dubbed the Mystery Shack. He had made it into a tourist trap when Ford was…elsewhere. It had taken some time, but eventually Grunkle Stan convinced his brother to let him continue the tradition of cheating people out of their money, more or less. Great Uncle Ford mostly continued his research on the oddities of Gravity Falls, with my help of course.

Now to the unprecedented meeting in question it was just another day in the start of our summer vacation. We were a week into staying with our Grunkles and enjoying a game of Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons. Great Uncle Ford and I loved the complicated game building while Mabel loved to let her imagination flow unhindered and Grunkle Stan enjoyed the combination of chance and strategy. We were in the middle of taking down a horde of trolls when there was a crash upstairs and the Shack shook from some kind of impact. 

Grunkle Stan was the first into action when he grabbed his trusty bat. Mabel pulled out her reliable grappling hook, and Great Uncle Ford put on his specialized gloves. I was left to find my own makeshift weapon, which ended up being a golf club. The four of us were as equipped as we would ever be. Stan led the way outside with the rest of us hot on his heels. Once we were outside of the Shack I found myself experiencing the all too familiar sensation of being watched from the forest.

I would like to believe that after spending so much time in Gravity Falls we were prepared for anything thrown our way. A good way to stay prepared is to expect the unexpected. I for one was not expecting to step onto the porch only to see myself a few feet away. It took me a moment to realize it was me. The blue and white performer’s outfit the boy wore reminded me of Gideon’s psychic front, and the glowing pendant right in the center of his collar made the resemblance even more startling. He did not cover up his birthmark as I do. Beside my rather bizarrely dressed clone was a girl with a strikingly similar appearance, Mabel’s own clone. The teenager was wearing a leotard of all things. The headband she wore glowed in one place. How did they come across two magical gems as Gideon had?

The two clones did not seem keen on conversation. They exuded a confidence that was honestly terrifying with their eerie blue eyes. My main thought became finding a water source to at least threaten them with. The fake Mabel had throwing knives. I pushed Great Uncle Ford to the side just in time to avoid one of them striking his shoulder. Grunkle Stan did not waste time with planning or talking after that. Their powers gave them a great advantage much as it had with Gideon years ago.

We were basically left to dodge whatever the pair threw at us which was a lot from the throwing knives to that “S” that always refused to stay in place. Mabel managed to get a good hit on her clone with the grappling hook. My double did not like the attack on his twin and struck Mabel with a board that must have come from the porch. I moved to protect my sister, and distract my clone while Ford moved in. My clone went down after however many volts of electricity were forced through his system. Neither of them stayed down for long.

“Stanley, take the kids and run,” Ford shouted while he prepared to stall for time.

“Are you crazy?” Grunkle Stan questioned. He tightened his hold on his trusty bat. I would have to agree with his reluctance to turn tail now.

“Just go,” Great Uncle Ford stubbornly urged as the clones recovered enough to advance once more.

In the end we ran while Ford took the fall. I could not let myself doubt his ability to survive and find us again. Mabel was the fastest of us three, and I managed to pull ahead of Stan ever so slightly. We had no clear destination. I tried to think of places we could hide, people who could help us. I found myself not wanting to involve them despite our clear need for help. There was something about these clones suddenly showing up that made me uneasy.

A shout from Grunkle Stan that was both of surprise and frustration gave me pause. I turned around to find my clone using his fake telepathic abilities to fling the man back. I shouted for Mabel, ignoring Stan’s words to keep going. My clone was thankfully not prepared for me to tackle him. We wrestled for the upper hand while I assumed Mabel was tending to our guardian. I managed to land two or three decent punches.

The damp grass stained both of our outfits. I paused once I realized this, allowing him to punch me in the face. I grit my teeth and tried to force him into further contact with the moisture. His face was clearly pressed into the dew covered grass, but he only clawed at my face to get me off. Perhaps the damp grass was not enough to cause a reaction. Perhaps I was wrong to write them off as clones. What else could they be?

My grip slackened when I realized my plan was not working. He took advantage of my lapse. Blue light surrounded my body as I was forced off of my double. He flung me against a tree, into a tree. Pain exploded from the impact in a way I had not experienced for a long time. I believe I met the ground again face first. I managed to keep my eyes open long enough to see Grunkle Stan grab my double’s arms from behind. Darkness took me a moment later.

I floated in nothingness for an amount of time I could not discern. I drifted between memories and a complete void. It felt like there was something (someone) calling to me a few times. I did not have the energy even in a mental state to reach out. I was not sure I even wanted to. There was something wrong with the presence I seemed to sense. It ceased after a time I once again could not tell. When I did finally wake up it was to pain, and a couch.

Mabel rested on the floor beside my makeshift bed. Her head was positioned at my shoulder while she slept. No doubt she had been at my side the entire time I was out cold. I glanced around to find Grunkle Stan in a chair not too far away. His arm was in a sling and he was snoring away. After taking in more of my surroundings I determined that we were in the Northwest Mansion.

Despite our initial impression of Pacifica she was a decent person. It certainly was not her fault she was born into a snooty family with more wealth than they knew what to do with and no intention of sharing it. Her parents were still the stereotypical rich couple, but they did care about their daughter. In most cases they cared about reputation far more, but that’s neither here nor there. The blonde turned out to be better than we expected, and was a good friend for Mabel. The two had grown close after our first hectic summer in the town. Last year they had started dating.

“Mabel?” I prodded my sister when she started to make kitten noises in her sleep. She still meowed during nightmares.

“Huh, Dipper?” Her voice asked. She slowly opened her eyes to meet mine. A relieved smile stretched across her face.

I found myself trapped in a hug a second later. I was still in a lot of pain, but I couldn’t deny my twin the reassurance that I was in one piece. I winched when she squeezed a bit too tightly. Mabel must have noticed since she backed off. The frown her mouth turned into always broke my heart to see. I tried to reassure her with a small smile.

“You do know he won’t heal properly if you break him in half, right?” Pacifica caught our attention.

Her posh tone was as scathing as ever, but after coming to know her we could pick up the teasing yet fond tone hidden there. The blonde was wearing a pink sweater with an image of Mabel’s face inside a heart at its center. It was still strange to see Pacifica in something Mabel had made for her. It did make me smile to know that the blonde cared about my twin enough to put away her prim and proper attitude, if only temporarily. Pacifica gave me her usual disapproving frown when I moved to sit up in the elegant couch. She shook her head a moment later, and I’m pretty sure I caught a fond smile on her lips.

We were forced to eat in a separate room from Pacifica’s family. Did I mention that her parents were still jerks? The area was nicely decorated if one is into the high priced artsy style. Grunkle Stan forked in all he could from his plate of pasta. He tended to stress eat, and there was nothing more stressful than worrying about a twin. I knew that all too well. The old man would be irritable until we found something to reassure us of Ford’s condition and whereabouts. He knew how to take care of himself in an unsavory environment. Mabel and I did our best to keep Stan’s hopes up.

The main priority now was to figure out what to do with these imposters roaming around. Were our friends in danger of being targeted? Where had they even come from? What did they want? Well, the last one to the best of my knowledge was to replace us somehow. People had gone missing in the town, perhaps these doubles were the cause of it. We would have to find a way to contact Wendy’s family, Soos’ Abuelita, and the Gleeful residence.

It took some time, but we rounded up whoever we could. We met our counterparts a few more times. They were relentless in their attempts to get rid of Mabel and me. It was almost like dealing with Weirdmageddon all over again. There really was no way to counteract their powers aside from sheer force of will and perseverance. I lost my hat during our worst scuffle. It was not our last, but it was the last one I was a part of.

Once again I found myself waking up, this time after three days of touch and go apparently. I hated to scare Mabel in such a way. There was not anything I could do besides pull through in the end. I had freaked out at the extent of damage my double had left me with. Soos’ Abuelita used her experience in nursing to tend my wounds. Mabel was in better condition than me, but still heavily injured. She was complaining under her breath about her double using her own grappling hook against her. All we could do was rest and wait for the others to inform us of their progress.

It was in the middle of the night a few days later that I was woken up by Grunkle Stan’s cursing. He was complaining about someone letting themselves get injured. I assumed he was referring to Mabel and me, but I could also hear him helping someone around the room. I sat up to watch him place another man on the chair he had been occupying. Mabel must have woken up as I had. I heard her gasp in surprise when Stan moved away enough to grab a blanket.

Great Uncle Ford had his eyes closed, but he was clearly breathing. His coat was gone, probably lost somewhere never to be seen again. From what I could see of his clothes and body before Stan covered him up he had either been navigating the woods for some time, or had fought tooth and nail to get away from something. No one slept while we waited for him to wake up. His wounds were tended to, and all that was left was for Ford to rest up. Hopefully he had found out more about our crazy doubles, or had sent them back where they came from already.

The first thing Grunkle Stan did when his brother woke up was punch him. Then he hugged the man like their lives depended on it. Despite his initial shock Ford returned the embrace. We shared with him our experiences while he had been gone. Great Uncle Ford had been captured during that time. Our doubles apparently included a version of Stan that wanted to learn all he could about our world. They had come from another world to conquer ours. Ford had not given them anything of course, but they had been persistent.

“I wouldn’t have escaped without Will’s help,” he admitted. There was guilt in his expression that hinted this other individual had bought him time to get out, but not followed.

“Who’s Will?” Mabel asked. It was a question on my mind as well. None of us expected Ford’s answer.

“William Cipher,” Ford responded. All of us must have held the same skeptical look when he glanced at us. His eyes turned downcast. “He took care of me between interrogations. Somehow he is bound to their will, but he defied them by freeing me.”

“Probably so you could lead them all back to us,” Stan grumbled. I would have to agree, but Ford seemed to already trust what was apparently Bill’s double.

“Stanley, listen, he risked a lot by setting me free,” Ford stated. That guilty look was back on his face. He was feeling sorry for this possibly-not-as-demented triangle. I held my tongue so as not to express how gullible he was being. “He may be able to help us. I at least want to try getting him away from them.”

The pair spiraled into an argument from there. They did that a lot despite patching up most of their differences. It still annoyed me because Mabel and I always got dragged into it one way or another. Usually we just found ourselves agreeing with a different Stan and stubbornly remained on opposite sides. This time was no different. Grunkle Stan was right to be wary of this new Cipher. One Bill was enough; we did not need his counterpart to shake things up in his absence. Mabel and Ford were adamant that this “Will” could prove to be a big help. If we could send these impostors back where they came from, I for one would be sure this blue triangle left with them.

We continued to act like children about it I suppose. Mabel and Ford refused to see reason, and Stan and I were not backing down with how bad of an idea getting an alternate Bill Cipher’s assistance would be. When it was obvious Mabel and I could get around on our own Preston Northwest threw us out. I wonder what the man would have been like if his face had remained as deformed as Bill left it. It most likely wouldn’t have changed anything, he just would have trouble speaking, and getting around. With no other choice even after Pacifica tried to convince her parents we returned to the Mystery Shack to at least grab supplies.

Grunkle Stan seemed more concerned that his vault had not been taken or broken into while we were away. Bud Gleeful had offered to take us in, but so had Soos’ Abuelita. The Gleefuls were not so bad since that first summer. They were still in many respects our rival family; we just were not as dedicated to it. Gideon was still a spoiled brat on his best days, but he was not as creepy with the stalking Mabel thing. I believe it was in part due to Pacifica threatening him, but no one had any proof that even occurred. In a sense my own relationship with the pompadour sporting boy had become like Robbie and I had been, a grudging truce. Needless to say we would be turning down Bud’s offer if only because there were still minor trust issues between our families.

It had not taken long for Great Uncle Ford to gather what he felt was needed. Mabel struggled with what crafting supplies she could bring. Leave it to my sister to prioritize sweater knitting over survival. I decided to wait outside of the Shack with Ford. Once I opened the door to the porch I realized that he had wandered off on his own. I sighed and grumbled about his recent carelessness, and headed back in to find Mabel. Unlike Great Uncle Ford I would not be heading out all by myself.

We called for him for what seemed like hours. I am most likely exaggerating that time frame, but it felt that way. When we finally did find him he was with someone, a tall someone. I found myself barely paying attention to the words exchanged with the blond man with all too familiar yellow eyes. I hardly recall what I said to him in that moment. The one thing I do remember is that he was covered in blood, and what that must have meant. This was William, in a human form for one reason or another, and he had defeated our doubles. Well, it looked more like he had slaughtered them. I decided in that moment that keeping on his good side would be preferable to provoking him.

 

 

William Cipher was timid for a demon, at first. He had trust issues, and no one could really blame him for that. He shied away from any physical contact, at first. Despite protests from both Stan and I, Ford allowed him to live in the Mystery Shack. It was strange, and unnerving. I could practically feel his creepy yellow eyes on me that reminded me too much of the time another Cipher had stolen my body. The worst part was that no matter how many times I warned Mabel she grew close to the blue suit wearing demon.

Grunkle Stan and I were the only ones with any sense around “Will.” It had to be an act, all of it. He was biding his time, waiting for all of us to drop our guards. Well it would not happen for me! I spent many nights without sleep thinking about how to convince Ford to throw him out. I was already eating my shirt by the time I realized the demon did not even sleep. It was another few days before I crashed at the kitchen table with my laptop wide open.

I know I crashed at the table that night. Even Mabel confirmed that I had. I woke up in my bed. The concerned expression I received from Will during breakfast had me even more on edge. The demon had put me to bed. Let me repeat that, just so it sinks in. I was picked up after crashing, by the demon living in the Shack, and taken up to bed for a proper rest. This was Bill’s counterpart. Will, no matter how sweet and innocent he acted, regardless of his timid appearance, was a full fledged demon. And he had made sure I slept comfortably in a bed. That meant he had to touch me to carry me to bed. Ford had even seen him do it.

Great Uncle Ford started acting really weird after that. He spent more time in his lab than usual, even for him. I noticed him watching Will almost wistfully. Pleadingly? The expression was just weird on his face, and to be directed at the demon. Something was bothering the man, clearly. My decision to confront him about it left me even more confused.

“You don’t seem as buddy-buddy with Will,” I opened the conversation with that. Perhaps not my best tactic, but tactfulness was hard. Ford was reluctant to talk about it.

“He just needs time to get used to us,” he defended. I watched him tinker with some new invention. He refused to tell me about that as well. His tone became a little bitter. “Well, the rest of us.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked. This was getting more out of hand than when Ford had first returned to our world.

“Nothing, I’m sorry,” Ford sighed as he put his tools down. He glanced to me with a guilty expression. I motioned for him to continue. He was unable to keep eye contact in that moment. “He trusts you.”

“What are you talking about?” I questioned with my arms folded over my chest.

“William, he trusts you,” Ford continued. He looked at me with a slightly hurt expression. He had been looking at the demon that way a lot recently.

“Why, because he carried me to bed?” I raised an unconvinced eyebrow. Perhaps I could finally convince Stanford that William was playing us all.

“That, yes,” Ford stated, but continued on more seriously. “He has not allowed contact with anyone else, Dipper. I don’t know if I scared him that bad, but he trusts you more. Actions speak louder than words, you know that. I can barely be within arm’s length of him without seeing Will flinch, or give me a distrusting glance. He touched you of his own violation even.”

“This is starting to sound like something you should discuss with Mabel.”

It was supposed to be mocking, though it became clear that I was not far from the mark. Great Uncle Ford did have a good point as well. William, for whatever reason, seemed to have taken a liking to me. The feeling was anything but mutual. Despite that I did find myself giving the demon a chance. He had had enough opportunities to off us after all, and refused to capitalize on any of them. I continued to be wary of him obviously.

The following morning began late afternoon for me. I walked into the kitchen expecting everyone to be out. Everyone except Will, anyway. My assumptions had been right, and the blond demon was in the kitchen. I startled him enough to fumble with the pitcher of Mabel Juice. His creepy eyes blinked at me. I just shook my head and turned to the refrigerator. His eyes were still on me. There were leftovers I could heat up in the microwave at least.

“You should stay away from that stuff,” I suggested when I turned back to the demon. He glanced between me and the Mabel Juice. The plastic dinosaur inside the pink liquid floated among flecks of glitter. “Grunkle Stan calls Mabel Juice the unholy offspring of coffee and nightmares.”

I took a sip from my Pitt Cola. The demon’s expression seemed to change for a split second from timid to mischievous, only to settle into neutrality. The middle expression reminded me too much of the normal Bill. Was anything about the yellow triangle normal? No, it most certainly was not. I watched in a mix of horror and intrigue as Will took off the lid of the pitcher, and practically dumped it over himself. Most of it did manage to go into his mouth somehow. The demon wiped his mouth and smiled at me. He lifted the empty pitcher as if to offer a toast.

“I like it,” he said in his echoing voice that once again reminded me of my once possessed body. He set the pitcher in the sink and picked up a napkin to clean off the excess sticky liquid on his face. “False advertising, though. There weren’t any nightmares in there.”

“Are you sure?” I prodded skeptically. My unconvinced expression appeared to amuse him. “I’m positive that stuff induces nightmares at the very least.”

Will hummed in response. He watched the pitcher as though it would magically refill itself. Once he realized that was not happening he moved to pressing his face into the window of the microwave. The demon seemed fascinated with the turning food within. The beeping startled him, and that actually made me laugh. The way he spun back in the air as though the object would initiate some dangerous protocol was amusing. I did feel bad after, but the way Will watched me he must have found it amusing too. The demon could also just like making me uncomfortable with his creepy gaze.

Mabel was upset to begin with when she got home to find all of her concoction gone. She did not waste time finding out the cause before making a new batch. Grunkle Stan shivered at the mere thought of more Mabel Juice. He said something about “crazy demons” when Will admitted to drinking the entire last pitcher full. The excited sound from my twin yielded a more surprised reaction than the microwave had. He did stiffen like a statue when Mabel hugged him. Ford may have been onto something when he said I was the only one William trusted to get close at this point. He would come around to the others though. Not that I was looking forward to it, because it just got him that much closer to betraying our trust.

I was right that he would come around to the others, but Will did appear to prefer my contact. He never initiated it with anyone else, sadly. The demon was odd. It was normal in the town of Gravity Falls, but Will Cipher was something unto himself. I admit I was growing fond of the blond despite his resemblance to another demon. I thought about that fact less and less as the days turned into weeks with him sharing our summer home.

The demon adored the blue “eye” sweater Mabel knitted for him. My sister had made him another with a little black bow tie just beneath the collar. I don’t know why she felt he had to try it on in my room. Some part of me suspects she did it on purpose to get the reaction out of me it yielded. I was barely paying attention when the demon switched sweaters, or tried to. His head ended up getting stuck inside, and his arms flailed about in the sleeves. Will must have panicked when he could not see because of the fluffy blue fabric. He ended up crashing into the wall after darting around like a headless chicken.

I tried helping him out of it without paying much attention to the exposed torso. Will had a toned body which surprised me. The way the demon acted most of the time I would have expected him to be scrawnier. Perhaps I’m stereotyping, or projecting. The muscle was just defined enough on the pale flesh. It made me wonder what his arms and legs looked like. I managed to help him out, but could not stop from blushing at the turn my thoughts had taken. He must have noticed my embarrassment because he refused to leave me alone for the rest of the day.

 

 

It was late at night when William woke me up because Ford wanted something. I was too groggy to understand much of what he said aside from waking Mabel. I stretched and moved to get dressed, not really knowing how late it was. I walked downstairs to get my sister up with Will close behind me. He seemed anxious about something. It was not rare for him to be unnecessarily worried, but this time felt different. I realized why when the three of us arrived in the living room to find Grunkle Stan on the couch.

Great Uncle Ford had called the hospital while Will was waking me. The demon had found Stan at the bottom of the stairs, and in his panic of not knowing what to do had woken Ford up. It was good that he did. Everything seemed to move at a too fast pace on our way to the hospital following the ambulance. Once we were at the hospital everything slowed to a snail’s pace by comparison. I could not stop myself from thinking the worst while we waited to hear about Grunkle Stan’s condition.

Mabel realized during our waiting that she had left Waddles at the Shack. The townspeople knew us well enough that they would have let our pet pig enter after all. My sister struggled not to go to Sweater Town in those agonizing moments. We squeezed each other’s hand to keep from breaking down at the thought of Stan’s condition. Ford was pacing from one end of the waiting room to the other.

“I shouldn’t have left Waddles at home,” Mabel mumbled against my shoulder.

“I’m sure Waddles is fine,” I consoled as best I could. I know that wasn’t her real concern, but it seemed to help. “Besides he is keeping Will company. I’m sure Will appreciate the comfort.”

“Yeah, he needs Waddles right now,” Mabel decided. She sniffled and clutched my hand tighter. “We’re lucky to have Will. Who knows when we would have found Grunkle Stan otherwise? I’ll knit them both the best sweaters yet.”

“You know Will will love that,” I agreed as I squeezed her hand back. I rested my other hand over our joined ones. Mabel pressed further into my shoulder. “When was the last time you made a sweater for Grunkle Stan? It sounds like a great ‘get well soon’ gift.”

“Hm, yeah I haven’t made him one in a while,” Mabel confessed in regards to Stan. She sat up at a sudden thought. I smiled knowing she would have something to keep her occupied now. “Oh, I could do the Pine Tree Sweater for Will!”

“The what?” I asked with eyes widening. I moved one hand down to my seat and squeezed it to keep myself anchored. What had Will said about a pine tree? No, please no.

“Will said he liked the symbol on your hat,” Mabel responded. Her smile faltered at my expression. Surely she understood what bothered me about her words. “I asked him once what he would like on a new sweater. He... I’m sure it’s nothing, bro bro.”

Right, it was nothing. I tried to calm myself with that thought. Will liked my hat, I knew that. He tended to steal it just to get a rise out of me. He liked the way it looked. He just wanted something to match. That was a little weird, but it didn’t mean anything necessarily. This was William Cipher, not Bill. Bill would never act the way Will did around us. He would never help us. No, if we ever came across Bill Cipher again he would end us without hesitation.

We slept in the hospital waiting room. I wish I hadn’t. It had been a while since I had experienced a full nightmare. Not since William had come into our lives in fact. I had them sometimes, but they always turned out fine. I did not find myself waking up in a cold sweat anymore. I don’t know how much of a hand our resident demon had in it, if any really. If he had nothing to do with it I’ll be surprised especially after having my first nightmare in a little over month when I was away from him. I don’t even remember what it was about aside from running. I woke up to find Mabel meowing in her sleep. She still did that? 

“Stanley is stable,” Ford said once he noticed I was awake. The man had finally taken a seat. He was slumped in it as if he had just run himself to exhaustion. “They came by just a minute ago. He should be waking up soon.”

“You know how tough he can be,” I offered with a hesitant smile. Ford returned it, but only halfway. He was still worried about his twin, we all were. I nudged Mabel.

“I hate to think what would have happened without Will,” Ford admitted. He lowered his head in sadness.

“Then we’ll force him into a group hug when we get home,” Mabel exclaimed.

“We will coax him into being a part of one,” Ford corrected with a more genuine smile.

Grunkle Stan was his normal grumpy self when we went to see him. He started off by complaining about the medical bill, even though he had yet to see it. He accused Ford of leaving the Shack to be burned down by a demon. Stan looked unconvinced when he was informed of Will finding him, and basically saving him from a worse fate.

The doctor commended Ford on his response time given the serious nature of senior falls in the home. Despite the incident Grunkle Stan appeared no worse for wear, and the staff seemed perplexed by his condition. I began to wonder if perhaps William had not in fact gone to Great Uncle Ford “right away.” I could not fault the demon if that was the case, though.

Will was sitting on the porch with Waddles when we returned. The pig immediately started squirming in his hold to get to Mabel. He was more energetic these days. It was like Mabel had just brought him home from the fair. Perhaps Waddles was acting more like a piglet than even then. The demon offered up a hopeful smile when Stan headed into the house. The man stopped to glance at him. Will scooted back in his seat as though Grunkle Stan would suddenly come at him with his trusty bat.

“Kitchen, Lucifer, now,” Stan ordered gruffly. We all stared at him, but were glared at. “The rest of you stay here.”

“Stanley, that’s hardly necessary,” Ford attempted only to be brushed aside.

We ended up staying on the porch like Grunkle Stan said. I was worried about what he was saying to Will. The demon had helped him, and Stan knew that. Surely he was not accusing the demon of anything in there. The more I thought about it the more I worried. What if he made Will leave? After what the demon had done for our family we could not just throw him out. He was a demon, but he was a friend, too. Will had proven himself to be our friend!

I opened the door to give Stan a piece of my mind. Great Uncle Ford grabbed my arm to stop me. He could not stop Waddles from rushing inside. I sighed, but relented. It was still Stanford’s house, so if he wanted William to stay his twin would have to allow it. Still, I did not want the demon to feel unwelcomed after everything that had happened. By the time we were able to find out what the two had talked about they actually appeared to have come to a respectful understanding. Grunkle Stan continued to distrust Will.

A few weeks later things got even weirder in my opinion. Perhaps it was the natural course of things in Gravity Falls. Even after five years there were still aspects that perplexed me within the little town. I was coming down the steps to grab a drink when I heard talking from the kitchen. I thought I heard Grunkle Stan’s voice, and his laughter.

“Fuck your sclera,” I heard William’s voice from the kitchen. At least I hoped it was Will. It startled me.

“Goat shit,” Stan’s voice followed. He actually seemed to be chuckling. I peeked into the room to find the two sitting across from one another. “What even is a scarlia?”

“Sclera, the whites of your eyes basically,” Will informed him. He lifted his hands to his face and pulled his lower lids down. He had no whites to show, however, just glowing yellow around a slit pupil. He smiled at me when he noticed I was standing there, dumbfounded. “Dipper!”

“Dipper?” Stan tensed up and looked back at me. I offered a sheepish grin. Grunkle Stan looked horrified. “How much of that did you hear?”

“Um, eyes?” I attempted. William gave me a knowing smile that seriously creeped me out.

“Just don’t repeat it to anyone,” Grunkle Stan warned. I waited until he turned around to roll my eyes.

“What are you even doing?” I asked.

“Insult contest,” Will said with an enthusiasm that could contend with Mabel. He was clearly enjoying himself, maybe a bit too much. “Care to join?”

“No,” Stan answered for me. He glared at both of us before standing from his chair. “We’ll pick this up another time, Beelzebub. I have shows to watch.”

“Okay, Bud,” William waved him off.

“I said later, Cipher,” Stan shouted.

I watched him retreat before turning to the demon. Will was laughing at his response. The demon seemed to get weirder and weirder the longer he stayed with us. I found myself smiling at the thought that he had found a way to bond with Grunkle Stan. It was unconventional, but many things were in the world I had grown familiar with. I clutched at the journal in my vest pocket. I tilted my head to indicate for Will to follow me upstairs. He appeared intrigued at the notion.

 

 

William was a big help while I made my own journal. I was trying to organize Ford’s work a little better, and adding in all the things I had found out. The process was a long time coming, too long in my opinion. Will told me of the creatures of his world. Many of them also existed here, but the ones I was unfamiliar with I set aside until I could certify that they did exist in our world. He informed me of possible weaknesses, territories, and how they got along with other species.

It was during this time that I came to realize the demon had no concept of personal space, despite previously showing otherwise. When Will was comfortable with someone he apparently glued himself to them. I would be in the middle of writing, or drawing, only to feel his head rest on my shoulder to watch me work. I gave up convincing him not to, though anytime I brought it up he would back off. At least he had stopped walking on the ceiling of my room.

I chewed my writing utensil while thinking of my latest entry. I had only encountered one Gremoblin, and had no intention of crossing paths with another. That being said, it was always good to be prepared. I jotted down the weakness I had found in them. Was it uncommon for a creature to be susceptible to their own power? I was not exactly keen on the thought of carrying a mirror around to defend against the beast.

“Hey, Will,” I began in order to get his attention. I doubted he was preoccupied, but he could be spacing out, or meditating, or whatever it was he did. “Do you know ways to counteract Gremoblins?”

“I’m actually immune to them.”

That certainly did not leave me with much. It was good to know all the same. If ever there was an infestation of the creatures we could rely on Will. There were a lot of things we could probably rely on him for. I began thinking about that. I must have chewed my pen further. I still needed to shake that particular habit, and the shirt eating thing. Will was a powerful demon. He could be the most powerful being we knew. One of them at least, he was a Cipher after all. Will was a Cipher!

“Swamp mud,” his voice drew me from my revelation. I turned in my chair to look at him. “Deep in the forest there’s this swampy area. The enchanted mud gets rid of the paralyzing, insanity inducing fear.”

“Do you just splatter it all over the person’s face?” I questioned.

I rested my head on my arms. Will was lying with his back on my bed, his head hanging off of it. He seemed to be slowly sliding more of his upper body off of it. The demon must not have had any concept of vertigo by the way he righted himself. His response reminded me that he was from another world. It just felt like he belonged with us. I hesitated to travel down that road. It reminded me of his yellow counterpart, and could remind him of the other Pines. Still, it got me thinking back to my earlier train of thought.

Will was a powerful demon. He had to be on par with Bill. They shared the same powers, most likely. If anyone could stand against a Cipher it was another Cipher. Right? Should Bill ever return we would have William to take him on. Not that I wanted to make Will fight for us, or for that Cipher to come back. It was just good to have a contingency plan. Will was not a fighter, however.

I must have slumped in my seat. I felt the shift as my chair tipped forward unexpectedly. The next thing I knew a finger was pressed against my forehead, and a pair of yellow slit-pupil eyes was staring at me. I forced myself to remain calm, though I did brush at my bangs to keep the birthmark hidden. My chair was back on four legs, and Will had stopped me from face planting onto the floor. I smiled sheepishly at him, and felt my face heat up. Curse my teenage hormones and demons in human form!

There was only one way to find out if the directions Will gave me to the swamp worked in my world. Perhaps I should not have tried to find out. Perhaps I should have told someone I was off to explore the woods. William would certainly have come with me, but I did not want to interrupt his time with Great Uncle Ford. The man had finally convinced him to take another crack at the lab. After the first time Ford had been reluctant to even approach the demon about seeing his inventions. This would be good for them, good for Will. I could certainly take care of myself.

The trek was a long one. I had come prepared with trail mix and water bottles. I did drop my compass when climbing a pile of boulders. It would have been smarter to go around it, but I did not exercise that kind of patience. If the map was right I could just follow it backwards. If it was not, then I would backtrack anyway and probably at least be in the vicinity of the Mystery Shack. I should know these woods well enough by now. It would not be much further.

I could not take care of myself. I did not know this forest that well. I berated myself for not telling anyone I was off. They would have insisted someone go with me. Granted they would just be in the same mess. I ran through the woods with only the rapid pumping of my blood in my ears. There was a shriek behind me. Harpies, bird ladies. They were after me for disturbing their territory, I knew that much. What I did not know was how I would escape them. I had the mud at least, but it did me no good against the harpies. It would do nobody any good if I died at the talons of the bird women.

Their claws brushed the back of my vest. The foliage cut into my legs as I ran. Tears were in my eyes. I do not know whether it was the exertion or the fear of not escaping my apparent fate. My heart pounded in my chest alongside my gasping lungs. I managed to duck through some dense trees. The harpies would find a way around, (I didn’t kid myself there) but I had at least bought some time. I collided with something solid that refused to let me go.

My back pressed into a warm body, almost too warm. The hands around my torso felt like claws holding me in place. My breathing evened despite my new situation. This being was not tearing into me as the harpies would have. My sense of hearing slowly returned to more than my own body. I pressed further into the chest at my back. The arms tightened around me. They were protecting me. I don’t know what brought that thought into my mind, but that’s all I could think of for a moment. They would not hurt me.

“Will?” I ventured.

I felt the other’s breath against the top of my head. I had lost my hat somewhere, again. I glanced down to the hands holding me. They were claws, black claws. They gleamed dangerously in the light. The coloring stretched up from the fingers to halfway on the pale hands. He was holding them in a way so I would not be injured by the sharp tips and razor edges. The darkness was creeping further up to the arms while we sat there.

“They’re still searching,” Will growled. His voice was deeper, angry. I shivered at the familiarity of it. He must have noticed because his voice was back to its high pitched quality. “We will have to run. I’ll guide us through to the Mystery Shack. They will pursue us to the tree line at this rate. Do. Not. Let go.”

A claw grasped my hand securely. Everything was a dizzying blur around us. I closed my eyes and let Will lead the way. My grip tightened around his hand at the sound of beating wings. The harpies were angry, and had no intention of giving up the chase. We did not slow down. Will’s hand held mine tighter. I heard him growl and felt his skin heat up. I felt the air change, and it seemed to calm the demon down.

The sound of a slamming door relaxed me for once. I was dragged against William’s chest again. He buried his face in my hair. I did not think about my third lost hat in that moment. I slumped against him with an exhausted huff of air. His hold tightened on me once more. Will growled again as if the creatures had pursued us inside. I looked up to find Great Uncle Ford frozen in front of us. The fearful expression on his face worried me. I hesitantly lifted a hand to Will’s arm. It seemed to be enough for the demon to relax and let me go.

“Sorry for the scare,” I said with an apologetic smile. “I was exploring, and kind of found myself in harpy territory. They are not friendly creatures. Will here helped get me away from them.”

I gestured to the demon, though Ford had not taken his eyes off of Will. I felt that heat again, but it was cooling, slowly. My eyes turned to the demon in question. I congratulated myself on not flinching at the sight. Those normally yellow eyes were no more, they were red. The demon’s hair was on its way to being the same shade, or coming back from it. His hands, claws, were fists at his sides. The skin there had turned black as though Will was frostbitten.

“I almost lost you,” his voice was that demonic growl once more. I did not dare take my eyes away from him. I floundered for a response. This did not seem like Will. The anger he exuded was more akin to… No, I refused to go down that path. I would not be afraid of the one who saved me, even if he was a demon. A demon much like Bill Cipher. “They tried to take you from me!”

“I’m okay now,” I reassured. My voice did not crack or waver. Good. “Thanks to you.”

Those words were enough to calm Will down. I gave him a confident smile when his eyes returned to their familiar yellow. He slowly returned to his typical human appearance. I fished around in my pocket for the jar of mud. It was also an excuse to watch his hands turn back. I had not focused on that part of him often. Not that I focused on him like that in the first place! His hands were their usual pale aside from the very tips that remained black and continued to end in pointed claws. Perhaps those had always been there.

“I even got some mud,” I proudly stated once I produced the jar of it.

Will shook his head, but sported a fond smile. Ford forced me into the kitchen so he could patch me up. He would have to locate the first aid kit first. Will sat with me while the man searched for it. We talked about the harpies. He still seemed tense over the incident, but offered up what he knew. I added in everything I was told. I looked up at him when he wanted me to close my eyes. I trusted Will, though I had no idea what he actually wanted.

I heard the scraping of a chair over the linoleum. Despite sensing his approach I stiffened when he touched my shoulder. I breathed deeply through my nose, but kept my eyes closed until he told me otherwise. Will would never hurt me. He could never hurt anyone, except maybe those harpies, and those that tormented him for who knows how long. We were friends. I felt a comforting warmth spread over my body. His hand left me along with the sensation. I opened my eyes to find my cuts and scrapes healed. Ford may have wasted his time getting that first aid kit, but I was smiling thanks to the demon. He was my friend after all.

 

 

It is beneficial to be friends with a demon. Not just because it could mean other creatures leaving you alone. Will was a wealth of knowledge. He also held a lot of wealth apparently. Now, I am not about to take advantage of it like Grunkle Stan would. Of course I will not be turning down any future gifts of solid gold bars either. Mabel can have her rich girlfriend. I have a demonic friend with stashes of solid gold and possibly other valuable artifacts. Not that I want to exchange any of those for money. It was just good to know that I had someone willing to do that for me.

I do not know if Will considered it an exchange of sorts, but I don’t know who else would be taking my laptop when I was not looking. He probably did it while all of us were asleep. The demon could at least learn how to delete his search history. I suppose it could be worse, but I’m pretty sure he is at risk of giving my laptop a virus by searching the deep web. Plus there is no telling what unsavory attention one can get from there. Granted a demon does not really have to worry about such things.

When I found he had been researching information on the colleges I was looking into I did get a bit worried. I suppose he was just looking out for me as any friend would, but media tends to exaggerate certain possibilities in certain environments. After the harpy incident and now this I was starting to worry that he might try to keep me in Gravity Falls to protect me from the horrors of the world. Will was still reasonable, (for a demon) so if it comes up I’ll just do my best to talk him down.

The last straw for me was waking up to find the demon sitting on my window sill. The window was open so the morning breeze could come through. It also meant that the image on the window was no longer covered by the black drapes now on the floor. Will was wearing the “pine tree” sweater Mabel made him. It was blue with a little white tree symbol, inverted to my hat. I still needed to get a new one. I shifted on the bed. Will glanced to me with a soft smile, or as soft as that pointy teethed mouth could accomplish. I noticed then that in his left hand was my hat. The hat I had lost escaping the harpies. Had he gone back for it?

I watched as the demon stood up and walked over to me. He placed the hat on my head, and pressed down on the bill. I readjusted it while he decided to sit down on my bed. I glared at him, but it had no real force behind it. My expression made him laugh. The sound made my face heat up in embarrassment. I threw off the covers to get dressed for the day. When I turned back around William was floating on his back over my bed.

“You weren’t watching me sleep, were you?” I asked. It was meant to be teasing, but the way he looked back at me told me all I needed to know. Demons are creepy. They may not all be evil, but they are most certainly creepy. I rubbed between my eyes. “Why were you watching me sleep?”

“I like watching you sleep,” Will responded. Sometimes he really did prove himself a Cipher through and through. He sat cross legged in the air, only to turn upside down with his hands on his knees. “You’ll be happy to know you do not have sleep apnea.”

“Were you worried I did?” I questioned. He glanced away guiltily. I shook my head at his antics, though it was good to be aware of these facts. I knew he cared about me, and he worried. That being said he was accumulating the traits of a stalker. “What did you look up this time?”

“I was refamiliarizing myself,” he said which was just rather cryptic. I waited for him to continue. It took a while but Will relented and floated down to rest on my bed. He was still upside down. “I forgot how many things can kill you humans. Not only do you have to worry about ‘mortal wounds’ and getting ‘old’ but there are these disease things, too. How do you make it past infancy with all this stuff?”

“Maybe our species is just a bunch of stubborn assholes,” I offered. It did manage to make him chuckle. I decided to be more serious with my next order of business. “Will, you do know Gravity Falls is not really my ‘home’ right?”

“You come back every summer,” he stated blandly. The demon clearly did not like serious conversations. In most cases I would agree, but less so than Mabel. It was necessary at times. This was one of those times. “The rest of the year you’re at Mount Pie, or something.”

“Piedmont, California,” I corrected with a teasing smile. I sat down on the bed next to him. “That’s where our parents are, and where we go to school. I’ll probably find a college around there, but not necessarily. What I’m trying to say is that I’m not always going to be in Gravity Falls. I just want to know that you’ll be okay when I am away, Will.”

“I’ll be fine, kid,” he sighed. I scowled at his dismissal. I knew deep down that he would be fine, but I did not want to have him worry like this when there was so much distance between us. “You always come back.”

“Exactly,” I nodded with a smile. It faltered a second later. Serious talks were hard work, but I was trying to prepare William for my upcoming absence. “Though sometime it may be longer between visits than others.”

The look he gave me was not reassuring in the least. I tried to explain my situation with college, and our parents wanting the last summer before it to be with them. The more I talked the more Will seemed to dislike the idea. For the first time in a long time William left the Shack. The last time had been with the harpy incident. I dejectedly stared at the closed door. The demon had not teleported away. I was not sure if that made it better or worse. He would come back, eventually. I just was not sure if it would be before Mabel and I left, or if Will would not want anything to do with me when he did return.

Grunkle Stan reassured me that everything would be fine. He also alluded to William going off and burning things to blow off steam. He was not that type of demon. At least I am pretty sure he isn’t. The more I thought about it the more worried I became. What if he did not return? What if he got hurt? What if he met Bill? Could this whole fight make him join his insane double?

I heard Ford yell as I ran out the door to track down the wayward demon. I would not let that happen. Bill Cipher would not take my friend away from me. William did not deserve to be under another’s thumb and certainly not someone like that. The problem was I had no idea where to start looking. If Will really did just walk away he could not have gotten far, but if he teleported at any point he could be anywhere in Gravity Falls. Was he confined to Gravity Falls?

It must have been hours that I was searching. The sun had set and I was making my way back from the middle of town. I had searched as much of the forest as I dared. I had asked around town, but no one had seen Will. My hands were shoved into my pockets and my hat pulled down over my head. Could I really return to the others without Will in tow? It was my fault he left, because I had to force that serious conversation and upset him. Sure he should know that we were leaving, that contact would be limited for a bit, but we still had time.

We were all the demon knew, and I was basically telling him his social circle would be split in half. Perhaps he could be taught how to use a phone so we could more easily keep in contact. Would he even care to stay in contact? Will would at least want to keep in touch with Mabel. Right? He would not stay mad at me. Right? The fact that I had not found him had me thinking the worst. What had I done?

“A bit late, isn’t it, Dipper?”

I looked up at William’s voice. The demon was leaning against a light post with his hands folded over his chest. He lifted an eyebrow when I did not say anything. I noticed then that his eyebrows were a light blue. It was strange to keep finding new aspects about the demon, even his appearance. Perhaps he changed it every so often. Will pushed away from his leaning post and approached me when I failed to answer. I glanced away at the concerned expression in his yellow eyes.

“I was actually looking for you,” I admitted. My arms hung at my sides like limp noodles. He pushed my hat away from my face, forcing me to look up at him with it.

“I needed to clear my head,” he said blankly. The intensity in his eyes held me prisoner until he broke contact. I watched as he began walking back in the direction of the Mystery Shack. Will turned his head to me when I did not move. “We should return before another search party is sent out. You should tell me about this college thing.”

I ran to catch up with him before falling into step at his side. It was then that I noted he was actually floating rather than just walking. He was even taller than me because of it. I frowned at that knowledge. I still despised being shorter than people. Not letting his feet touch the ground was most definitely cheating. I caught him glancing down at me with an expectant yellow eye.

We discussed the concept of college, and education in general. Will did not understand why families did not just teach their own and leave it at that. It was just how society worked, and always had as far as most people were concerned. Some of the teachings were useless in the real world, and certain information was never taught. It was a flawed system, and Will did not beat around the bush when declaring it so. We talked even after returning to the Shack. Everyone had been worried, but William appeared to be fine now.

When it did come time for Mabel and me to leave Will gifted us with solid gold bricks. It was my second, and Mabel’s first from him. I don’t know if Pacifica ever gave her gold or jewelry. She most likely had. I could hear Grunkle Stan goading Will into giving him at least one while we boarded the bus. The demon watched us leave with an unreadable expression, at least from my distance. We had promised to keep in touch as we always did with our grunkles. I had told William the college I would be going to eventually. He claimed he would look into it. It actually worried me a little, but I was sure Ford and Stan would keep him from panicking too much.

 

 

Life outside of Gravity Falls felt strange to me anymore. I was not exploring the woods, with its magical inhabitants and wonderful mysteries. It was just home and school for me. I still did not have many friends, and those I did have I never told about the real summer adventures I had with Mabel. We had agreed after that first summer it was best to keep it a secret. Plus Grunkle Stan had made us promise not to tell our parents about almost dying and all the dangerous experiences.

When the school year started (as with all the other years) it felt like it dragged on, only to speed by while I was not paying much attention. I was busy with so much homework I barely called to check up on our grunkles and Will. The demon did not know how a phone worked at first, but Ford was apparently trying to teach him about more human things. I wish I could have been there to help. We should have taught him so many things that summer. The demon seemed to be coping well without Mabel and me, at least. I was proud of him, but I also started to think that he would stop caring about us at this rate.

I know it was a silly notion. I still made sure to talk to Will every chance I got. We talked about random things; sometimes what Ford had showed him. It sounded like he was getting along with Stan better. Their insult contests had really helped with that. Great Uncle Ford had yet to find out about such unconventional bonding. It was probably for the best. Will was more comfortable around him and in the lab from what I was told. Will had come a long way from when he first came to our world.

That summer, instead of returning to Gravity Falls, Mabel and I went to various beaches with our parents. It was a surprise road trip along the west coast. It was fun, but nothing like our summers in Gravity Falls. Still, I guess it was good to take a break from the paranormal happenings there. Mabel made two scrapbooks out of all the pictures we took and sent one off to Pacifica. The second would be shared with everyone else the next time we visited. In the end it was a great summer with our parents, and like every other one it went by too fast.

Mabel and I were attending completely different colleges. It would be the first time we were so far away from one another. We promised to keep in touch, but it would take a bit of getting used to. The main issue that cropped up from this was when we would be moving into the dorms. Despite protests from Mabel, and our parents to a lesser extent, I told them to drop me on campus so they could then take my sister to get settled in. She did not want to let go when we hugged each other goodbye.

I could have allowed them to help bring my bags up to my dorm, but one only thinks of such things in hindsight. My stuff was not that heavy. The hard part was finding my room. I was on the second floor, room 203. There were so many people roaming around it was hard to navigate my way around them. Down the hall I could see a group had set up a limbo contest. It was a strange one where in place of the stick some guy (in a rather vibrant yellow shirt) was being held by two others. I kept my distance so as not to get dragged into their antics, not that they seemed to be causing much trouble aside from blocking that section of the hallway.

The door to my room had a small whiteboard on the front with a black marker and eraser attached to the bottom. There were three letters already displayed, spelling out a name “Lu Z.” I decided to take the time to scribble my own name down. It was hard to write neatly with a marker, but at least I kept all my letters in a straight line. I just hoped whoever Lu was we would get along. As I capped the marker I noticed the period was actually a tiny triangle. I found myself staring at it for a bit too long. I shook my head and pushed the door open.

The room I found myself in was simple enough. There was a mini fridge, an old blue couch, and a small coffee table that I noticed first. Once I brought my bags into the room I saw the microwave and little sink area. I saw the two full sized beds further in. The one on the right looked available, the other one had takeout boxes on it, and a suitcase at the foot. I noticed the small closet last. There were already clothes on the one side. The hangers held various button up shirts (black, yellows, and white) with dark pants. On the floor I found a pair of black and yellow bowler shoes and black fashion boots.

I do not believe myself one to judge someone on fashion choices, but by the look of this closet Lu was an odd fellow. I suppose dressing for success was a good idea. That being said, who even liked the color yellow? There was even a jacket that almost looked golden. Well, if the guy was comfortable with his fashion choices I had to hand it to him.

“Like what you see, Pines?” A high pitched voice startled me.

I turned to the entryway to find the man that had been used as a limbo stick. At least I think he was since he sported the same vibrant yellow shirt. Combined with the black jeans it matched up with the outfits in the closet. The man’s blond hair was a few shades lighter than the t-shirt he sported. I found myself staring at his tanned face. Something about the pointed features was out of place to me. It was almost too symmetrical, as if the man had been sculpted to perfection. It reminded me of William. The smile he held was similar as well, but not nearly as wide. I must have been staring for a while.

“Speechless are we?” There was a teasing note to his voice. He walked confidently into the room, never breaking eye contact with me. I felt like a deer in the gaze of a predator.

“Yeah. Yes! I mean, hi. Uh, Dipper Pines,” I stammered out much to my embarrassment. I held out my hand in greeting.

“Lu Zebub,” he replied. His smile appeared to sharpen. I barely registered his hand clasping mine while he stared at me with golden irises. They must have been contacts because his pupils resembled a cat’s. “It is a pleasure to see you.”

“Uh, yeah, you too,” I said lamely. I must have looked like an idiot in that moment. It certainly was not my best first impression to give. My eyes lowered to the hand that squeezed mine in greeting. It was covered in a black glove that reached slightly beyond Lu’s wrist. “So, um, what’s your favorite snack food?”

“Doritos,” Lu stated after a beat. I looked up to watch him move away to his bed. “I like their shape, and they taste good obviously. Give me a handful of the spicy ones any day.”

“I love those,” I blurted out.

What the actual fuck was wrong with me? I barely knew the guy, had just met him even, and I was acting like a complete fool. This felt worse than when I had that crush on Wendy. Not to say that Doritos were a bad choice, but I don’t know that I would call them my favorite. That was not really the issue at hand. Lu was an attractive guy, if one likes tall, tanned, and eccentric dresser. I took note of his yellow leather crocodile shoes when he crossed one leg over the other after sitting down on his bed. He seemed nice enough, he certainly had charisma. The smile he gave me could have come from an old television villain.

The sound of my cell phone ringing interrupted any further conversation. I scrambled to get the device out of my pocket. Lu waited patiently while I checked the caller. Grunkle Stan or great-uncle Ford were trying to get a hold of me for one reason or another. Perhaps they and Will wanted to be sure I made it to my dorm in one piece. I smiled at the thought. My roommate remained on his bed as I answered the phone. I gave him an apologetic smile before walking away to the kitchenette.

“Hello,” I said in greeting.

“Dipper,” Stan’s voice responded. His gruff voice sounded a bit more irritated than usual. “Did you get settled in yet?”

“Yeah,” I replied. My face must have given away my concern about his call by the way Lu tilted his head. “I’m just getting to know my dorm mate.”

“Good, that’s good,” Grunkle Stan sounded distracted. Did something happen? Was everyone alright? “Listen, kid, I don’t know when you and Mabel were thinking of visiting, but perhaps it’s better you stay away for a while.”

“Why?” I asked with growing worry. Please let everyone be fine. “What happened?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Stan eased. I already was worrying. “Ford and I have everything under control. And our live in nightmare, too, I guess. You and your sister just worry about your education.”

“Would you at least tell me what this is about?” I questioned, though it was already clear Stan planned to be as vague as possible. Something was up, but he did not want us to know.

“I need to call your sister,” Stan deflected, as I knew he would try. He hung up on me a second later.

I released a frustrated sigh. Lu continued to watch me, but said nothing. I left my phone on the counter top. My fingers ran through my hair after lifting my hat out of the way. I sat on the bed I had claimed and let myself fall onto my back. Something was happening back in Gravity Falls and I was missing it. Grunkle Stan did have a point about focusing on college. How was I supposed to do that now? I huffed again. Stan and Ford felt they could handle it, and Will was there to back them up if need be. He could just unleash his demonic fury on the threat if it pushed him far enough.

“You look like you need a drink,” Lu’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I sat up to look at the blond man.

“I’m not old enough yet,” I informed him. I knew a lot of people in college drank alcohol regardless, but I did not plan to be one of them. It was far too early for drinks of that nature anyway.

“No one cares about that,” Lu insisted by waving off my concern, one of them anyway. I really had no interest in getting inebriated on my first day. “You at least need to unwind, kid. I know where a nice party is going on for that.”

I still did not want to be involved in the party scene. I also did not want to be considered a wet noodle for not going out. I should experience a college party at least once. Eventually Lu talked me into it. His method involved less talking and more facial cues. I would just have to be careful what I drank there, and not leave the party with any strange people. Lu seemed to have enough enthusiasm for the both of us. He donned a neat little black bowtie and yellow tailcoat. I just wore my blue t-shirt and jeans, and of course my hat.

The party was at some frat house. There was beer and punch being passed around, and dance music blaring throughout the place. It was hard navigating through the bodies, but the people were like a parting sea for Lu. It was just the way the blond carried himself. He seemed more like he should be in his later twenties, yet clearly held the mentality of someone younger. Not to say he was immature exactly, but Lu did have a strange sense of humor. Everything seemed to amuse him especially the clumsiness of the people around us. There were already drunk students and the sun had barely gone down. I would have to get used the college experience.

Lu and I managed to find an empty corner to avoid most of the others. He sipped from a bottle of unmarked alcohol, though he seemed repulsed by it after the first. I could never understand how people could get past the apparently strong taste. It did not seem to affect my roommate in terms of inebriation, but he could just have a tolerance for the stuff. I sipped from my cup of punch.

“What subjects are you looking into?” I asked over the beat everyone seemed to be swaying to. Lu was close enough where he could hear me. The blond was about a foot taller than me.

“Psychology and world history,” he responded. His voice seemed to carry without needing to yell. It almost felt like his words were going directly into my brain. “The human mind can be a fascinating place.”

“It can be,” I agreed with a nod. I took another sip from my punch. Lu kept his golden eyes on me with an admittedly unnerving intensity. I don’t think I saw the man blink once. I pressed my back against the wall while he was turned toward me. “I was hoping to go into investigative journalism!”

“That could be quite the adventure,” Lu said with his sparkling grin in place.

We fell into easy conversation. I found it hard not to share my experiences in Gravity Falls with him. I did tell him about Old Man McGucket and his Gobblewonker machine. It appeared to amuse him. There was just something about Lu that made me want to open up to him, yet I felt this contradicting feeling every time I gazed into his strange contacts. It was as if something was compelling me to trust him, but at the same time he exuded this sense of danger I should steer clear of. I was already too deep, and with us sharing a dorm room I couldn’t necessarily avoid him.

Finding ourselves on the subject of our names felt inevitable. I suppose his reaction was better than Wendy’s had been. Thinking back on that being told my parents must have hated me to get such a name was not comforting at all. When I did reveal the constellation Lu stared for a bit. It’s what he did next that startled me. My hand was brushed aside by one of his gloved hands. His fingers combed my hair back and held there to keep the birthmark in sight. The warmth of his covered thumb tracing the pattern was both startling and soothing, if that makes any sense. Lu was fascinated by it. I found my face heating up by the time his intense gaze released me. His smile was uplifting, but it did nothing to calm the fluttering in my stomach.

“So,” I began in order to change the subject a bit. His smile at least meant he did not think I was a freak like a lot of people have. “Lu Zebub, does that come from anything?”

“My parents,” he replied nonchalantly. I don’t think he was offended by it. His smile stretched a bit further as if he was thinking of some inside joke. Lu shrugged and took a sip from his bottle. “You know cultists.”

“Your parents are actual cultists?” I asked with a bit more curiosity than was really polite. Again, Lu did not seem offended. “What middle name did they give you? Satan?”

“Cipher, actually,” he informed me calmly, almost absently.

I felt my heart stop in the same moment my brain suddenly became empty. My face surely must be paling at an alarming rate. No, it couldn’t be. Bill would be trapped in Gravity Falls. He certainly would not go to such lengths to off me. We haven’t even seen any sign of the dream demon in five years. Lu couldn’t be Bill. Bill Cipher would have ended me the second we were alone together. Lu had dragged me to a highly populated area. I forced myself to take another drink to quell my nerves. If Lu noticed my discomfort he did not say anything. I watched him take another sip of his beer.

“Blech,” he exclaimed in disgust. Lu held out the offending bottle with a clearly revolted expression. He glanced to me with his golden eyes. “I’m going to find something not… this.”

Lu walked off to find another beverage. I remained against the wall. I slumped there as I worked to calm down my racing thoughts. Lu was just a person with cultist parents and a strange fashion sense. And yet my mind was trying to make connections. He wore yellow, his neat little bow tie, and the slit pupils. Then there was that small triangle on the whiteboard of our door. Fuck! What if he was Bill Cipher? No, I said it before with Will; if Bill ever came back his first priority would be our deaths. Any other possibility would be absurd, just like the yellow triangular nightmare.

Should I leave anyway? I should at least call someone. If Bill was plotting something Mabel would be in just as much danger. Perhaps that was what Grunkle Stan was alluding to. What if Bill was back in Gravity Falls and they were trying to deal with him alone. Well, they weren’t alone if they were together. Surely our grunkles would have told us if Bill Cipher was back in town. Then again Stan had made it clear education should be our first priority. If I did leave, and Lu was Bill, he would just follow me. I would be making it easy for him to kill me without any witnesses. No, no Lu could not be Bill. What if he was Bill?

“Hey there, cutie,” a feminine voice drew my attention. The girl (woman) before me had dark flowing hair that reached past her dark skinned shoulders. Her red painted smile seemed to drag me down as much as her wafting perfume. The black strapless dress she wore barely covered any of her voluptuous curves. Her sky blue painted nails brushed over my cheek softly. “My name is Tricia. What do you say we leave this place for some real fun.”

There was no real question in her voice. It felt like a command, my body even responded like it was. She pulled me along with a finger under my chin. Tricia was an inch or so shorter than me. Even if I wanted to I could not resist her pull. I didn’t want to, for some reason. Tricia was a very beautiful woman, and she was granting me her attention. She had eyes for me. I would have been a fool to turn that down, but I was smart so I did not. Coming here would be well worth it after a night with such a lovely lady.

I don’t know where she was leading me, or how long we walked. The sounds of the party were far behind us. I don’t know where we stopped. Tricia turned to me and placed a gentle hand on my cheek. Her full lips pressed to mine, and I was in heaven. I opened my mouth for her without hesitation. It felt like she was breathing energy into me. Energy that was going straight to my cock. She pressed into me, and there was no way she could not tell what her very touch was doing to me.

The air around us crackled with heat. My body was acting of its own accord, not that I minded in that moment. Tricia pulled back and the influx of intoxicating energy followed her. Suddenly I did not like what was happening. It felt like she was drawing out my very soul, and it was far less pleasant than the last time it was separated from my body. I struggled to put distance between us. She shrieked in frustration when I fell back onto the ground in an exhausted heap.

A deep growl came from behind me. I stiffened at the sound. It was familiar, as was the near suffocating temperature. My eyes were trained on Tricia. Her eyes were black and her teeth were bared to whatever stood behind me. Her fingernails lengthened about six inches. I refused to look back, refused to confirm my fears. I did not possess the energy in that moment anyway. I registered the clack of expensive shoes on pavement. I felt myself fade in and out of consciousness.

The woman that brought me here was fighting with a man in a deep red tailcoat. His hair was the same fiery color. A golden cane materialized in his left hand. The end of it, a bladed tip, slashed at Tricia and tore into the skin of her exposed shoulder. Whatever conversation passed between them was lost to me. Tricia was losing, that’s all I could really discern. She was no match for the man, creature. He was speaking to her again when there was more distance between them. The man’s red crocodile shoes were a few inches from my prone form. I could not make out the words in his deep voice that I could recall from somewhere I did not want to think about.

I was fading out again. Tricia was gone when I was next able to focus my vision. The man remained, but his outfit had changed. Everything red was now a golden yellow, including his hair. My instincts kicked in, telling me to get away. I could not; I was too tired to move. The man fixed his black gloves on his hands. I groaned in pain, mistakenly gaining his attention. His eyes appeared human at this distance aside from the oddly golden irises. I almost believed there was concern on his face.

My vision swam again when the sound of my ringtone wafted into my ears a short distance away. I must have dropped it when struggling against whatever Tricia was. Someone was trying to get a hold of me in my last minutes. They would not reach me, and would most likely be next. I barely registered the high pitched and deceptively fond voice of “Lu” talking to me.

“You’re certainly a magnet for danger, Pine Tree.”

Fuck.

**Author's Note:**

> Bill, not a fan of succubi. Most especially when they touch his Pine Tree.
> 
> Don't be scared Dip. It's just your friendly demonic nightmare fuel ;D


End file.
